World number one Angelique Kerber won a fourth straight match at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global to ease her way into her first final at the prestigious year-end championships, where she will meet the resurgent Dominika Cibulkova.

Kerber Keen to Make a Bold Impression, Cruises Through Opener

Having been the only player to carry an undefeated run into the knockout stages, it was Kerber who started the brighter of the two, wasting no time in claiming the first break of the contest in the opening game to edge her nose in front. With a consolidation of the break all but guaranteed, thanks to remarkable shotmaking such as this from the German, it was the Pole who fought back brilliantly, coming through a grueling 14-point game to recover the early break.

However, the defending champion’s hard work appeared to have all gone to waste in the following game as Kerber quickly forged ahead to a 0-40 lead, before Radwanska pegged her back, saving all three break points in remarkable fashion. Yet, one could just sense that Kerber’s breakthrough was never in doubt and the German made sure to reassert her authority on the Pole, breaking at the fourth time of asking before consolidating with relative ease to open up a comfortable 3-1 advantage.

Radwanska did what she could to stop the momentum of Kerber, saving a break point en route to mustering out a seemingly improbable hold a game later, but there was no stopping the world number one, who was right in the ascendancy from there on out. Reeling off the last three games of the opener, the German was a set away from her first final in Singapore, with Radwanska struggling to find any holes in Kerber’s game.

Kerber Knocks Out Defending Champion Radwanska in Imperious Fashion

The second set would start similarly to the first, with both players exchanging breaks early before it was Kerber who appeared to gain the upper hand. In a case of déjà-vu, the German would recover from the disappointment of failing to consolidate her early advantage with another break, this time coming out on top, to go a set and 3-1 to the good.

But unlike in the opener, when given the chance to secure the double break, the world number one would make no mistake this time around; another wild backhand miss from Radwanska giving Kerber the insurance break and putting her within two games of victory.

With the finish line in sight, the German’s desire to win only seemed to grow stronger as another commanding hold, aided by another series of uncharacteristic unforced errors, put her one step closer to a spot in Sunday’s showpiece. With a dejected-looking Radwanska seemingly at a loss for answers, Kerber would complete arguably her best match of the week in just over an hour; the Pole’s out-of-character 28th unforced error sealing an imperious 6-2, 6-1 victory for the world number one.

Kerber Set to Battle Cibulkova for Prestigious Year-End Title

Saturday’s victory over Radwanska puts Kerber into the final in a rematch of their thrilling round-robin match against Dominika Cibulkova last Sunday. In what promises to be another thrilling encounter under the roof of the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Kerber and Cibulkova will look to renew acquaintances in their tenth and arguably most important meeting, with the prestigious year-end championship title on the line.